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3 Teen-Agers Wounded in Shooting at Club

Three young men were wounded, two critically, outside a Manhattan dance club early yesterday when an argument between two groups of teen-agers ended with one youth pulling a gun and firing several times, the police said.

The fight flared outside the club, the Home Base Squad, at 531 West 19th Street in Chelsea, when the groups squared off because of a dispute over a girlfriend of one of the teen-agers, said Sgt. Edelle James, a police spokeswoman. Apparently, Sergeant James said, a member of one group thought that his former girlfriend was now dating a member of the other group.

The police arrested Felix Santiago, 17 years old, of 1207 Willow Avenue in Hoboken, N.J., and charged him with assault and weapons possession. It was not clear if Mr. Santiago had fired the shots, Sergeant James said, adding that the police were searching for two other suspects.

Carlos Sanchez, 18, shot three times in the chest, arm and back, and Rafael Martinez, 18, shot once in the back, were both in critical condition at St. Vincent's Hospital. Martin Sanchez, 17, was in stable condition with a leg wound. A 25-caliber revolver was recovered at the scene, Sergeant James said.

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A version of this article appears in print on September 6, 1992, on Page 1001061 of the National edition with the headline: 3 Teen-Agers Wounded in Shooting at Club. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe